Two streams of my life converged this week in an interesting way to challenge me on the question of, whether what I believe is important. It’s easy to take an academic philosophical point of view on such things, but this week it has become more of a pragmatic challenge. In my role of teacher I am being challenged to find ways to help students learn, who would really rather not…at least not in class, or not on topics that the adults in their lives think are valuable for them to know now. It would probably be easiest for me to fall back into a regimented worksheet oriented program with lots of reading of the text and answering comprehension questions, but my belief, based on some success in other venues, is that ultimately more learning goes on in a project–based approach where students must search out knowledge and create something new with that knowledge.
So my belief is important in two ways. First, it informs what I will do and guides my actions. This is true in teaching but it is also true in every other aspect of living. My choices and actions are dependent on my belief, and when I am challenged regarding my beliefs or when I act contrary to those beliefs it creates a great tension or feeling of unease in my life, that needs to be resolved. Second, my beliefs inform my goals and expectations. I expect that given the tools and the time, children can learn and grow to be more than they can presently imagine. There is some need as a result to challenge what they think the future holds and help them see the reality and the possibilities that they had not considered for lack of knowledge of their world, and their own strengths and weaknesses.Teaching is a challenging profession, and there are days when the quiet, solitary life of a mountain dwelling hermit has a lot of appeal. But that too would lead to dissatisfaction pretty quickly as it flies in the face of my belief that people are happiest when they are helping others. Of course, this brings up another consideration in regards to our belief — that our belief must be grounded in reality. Believing in the palpably untrue also has its heartaches. As for “happiness” I have the scientific evidence of “double blind” studies that confirm this sociological phenomenon; happiness is tied to the feelings of worth we experience when we help others. I also have anecdotal evidence, the wisdom of common sense, centuries of experience and stories, and scriptural teaching that tend to validate this belief. Generally, I put my trust in the latter rather than the former.

Now what about my beliefs as a Christian? Does it matter what I believe? Yes, of course, and for all the same reasons that my “teaching beliefs” matter to me as a teacher. My belief guides my motivation (why I do what I do), my thought and understanding of how to relate to God and other people, my actions, and my expectations. This week some of my beliefs have been challenged as I have had the opportunity to discuss with others my understanding of scripture. As a result I have had occasion to rethink my understanding on the Nature of God, the Nature of my covenant with God, and the importance of biblical instructions. Now I have not altogether thrown out what I have become convicted of over the past 40 years, but I have had a chance to refine and see how my belief is fundamental to who I am.

My belief is not a shirt I wear but more the skin I live in, that holds my being together in an integrated whole. This week has made me see more clearly that my beliefs are not a question of picking and choosing those things that appeal to me, making for an eclectic wardrobe that I wear in haphazard fashion as whim suits me. Rather my beliefs are integrated into a seamless whole, one belief being consistent with and supporting all my other beliefs – a spiritual “skin” that expresses my understanding of reality and represents who I am to the world. It could not be altered or shed without a lot of pain.
This brings to mind another consideration when it comes to beliefs. Some people would have me believe that I should set aside my “beliefs” for the sake of peace or unity within the Body of Christ. I on the other hand believe I can have love for those who believe differently – even though I may believe they are in error, interpreting the scriptures through a lens that differs from my own. This love, concern for the welfare of those who have differing beliefs, means I will uphold what I believe to be truth because to do otherwise would be to refuse to take up the challenge of providing them an answer of the hope that I have in Christ. Do I presume to have all the answers? Not at all. I hope those whose beliefs differ will also continue with me in reading the scripture and seeking God’s will so we can all grow in grace and knowledge, so that in time we can come into a unity of belief. This hope of future unity is my belief in the face of the present reality of disunity.

So you can understand that my life is my belief and I can refine my belief, grow in understanding, cast off misunderstanding, but I cannot cast aside my belief. The Father who we live in covenant with is guided by His belief and he never acts contrary to His belief and that is why the scripture tells us, that He is light and there is no shadow of doubt or disbelief. He is true to His nature, His belief. Likewise, His Son, our Lord and Saviour, the one who spoke the Word and earth existed, and the one who spoke the Words from Mt. Sinai, is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Why? Because His nature, His belief is steadfast and faithful. Our goal is to come to believe as Christ and the Father, so we can be as unshakeable as they are in wisdom and faith – belief.

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN
By Jean Jantzen
“For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Corinthians 6:16

Would we feed our family food we know is contaminated or unclean? Most people would not eat unclean meat knowingly, but some believe that eating unclean animals is not a sin, but only breaking health laws—no big deal! That view seems too simplistic! The words ‘clean’ and unclean’ occur 382 times in scripture, so it is noteworthy and should get our attention. Many people in the world eat unclean foods and live to be in their nineties. So a long life was not fully what God had in mind when giving His instructions about what meat we should eat. We know that what we put into our body (this temple) is important to God. Eating what was forbidden landed Adam and Eve outside the garden and led to their death. God’s instructions about food (Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14) are more about our attitude and approach to God.
We are what we eat; what we put into our bodies becomes part of our flesh. And we know our body does not belong to us, rather it belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:17)
From God’s vantage point our earthly ‘temples’ are vital tools—they are sacred—they make up the chaste, pure bride of Christ. He tells us to be holy as God is holy. How we approach God is of great consequence. He is particular about who (and in what frame of mind) comes near to Him. When Moses came near the burning bush he was told to remove his shoes as he was on holy ground. God is also particular about what sacrifices are acceptable to Him….they are to be without spot or blemish—anything less would be an abomination. We are to be a living sacrifice…that fact behooves us to be holy and clean and blameless before God. (Romans 12:1-3)
It is of weighty significance how we approach God because it shows our attitude. It must not be a casual, careless, half-hearted approach—like attending Church in torn greasy jeans, an old dirty sweatshirt, and filthy hair. That would show God that we do not love Him with all our heart, soul, and might, nor do we respect his holiness. It would show God that we do not acknowledge who He is; His majesty, His righteousness, His holiness. We should fear Almighty God always! Read what happened to Moses who forgot his fear of God on one occasion. (Numbers 20:1-14)God expected the priests to be sanctified and clothed in a particular way before they could approach Him or sacrifice to Him. It was so important that Nadab and Abihu, who offered profane fire before the Lord, were found so offensive that they were killed instantly. Yes, God gave precise and meticulous instructions regarding service in His tabernacle. God determines the terms on which sinners may approach Him. Worship cannot be haphazard. We don’t want to worship in vain. We must approach Him in carefulness, thoughtfulness, holiness, so that one day we will be transformed into the bride of Christ, and a royal priesthood. (1Peter2:9)
We can then understand that the specific purpose God gave for avoiding unclean meats is all about holiness, obedience, and the right attitude. God wants us to be holy. Since we belong to Him and He purchased us with Christ’s blood, He does not want us to contaminate ourselves through any kind of physical or spiritual defilement (1 Corinthians 6:15-20). In God’s sight refraining from eating unclean animals is an identifying sign of the holiness of those God has set apart through a relationship with Him. It separated his called-out-ones from the unclean nations around them…it showed them they were different. They learned to distinguish between clean and unclean, holy and unholy.
Notice Paul’s summing up of this principle: “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:22-23). So it is important to remember that God alone by His Word determines the terms on which sinners may approach Him in worship and be holy.
After we are told not to eat anything unclean, God says bluntly in Leviticus 11:43, 44, “You shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing…neither shall you make yourselves unclean with them, that you should be defiled….sanctify yourselves, you shall be holy….” We become “abominable”, unclean and defiled, before God if we eat anything unclean. The word defiled means to make unfit for ceremonial use.God tells us plainly what He thinks about eating unclean meats in Isaiah 65: 2-5(Living):
“All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. All day long they insult me to my face by worshiping idols in their sacred gardens. They burn incense on pagan altars. At night they go out among the graves, worshiping the dead. They eat the flesh of pigs and make stews with other forbidden foods. (see article about pork) Yet they say to each other, ‘Don’t come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!’ These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.”
So God had a great purpose for teaching us about clean and unclean. Firstly, it separates us out and sanctifies us. Secondly, it’s a test and identifies us by our obedience to this instruction, revealing our true attitude toward God. And thirdly, it does promote better health. So approach our heavenly Father with a humble mind, with fear and trembling, and an untainted body.

In consideration of the current state of our world, the injustice and oppression of every sort that keeps people chained in darkness and unable to come to the light of God’s truth, we are going to be fasting together on August 9, 2011 to ask for God’s help. We will pray that God will shed his light on those who are stumbling, doubting, or fearful that they may gain discernment, courage, and wisdom to walk that narrow path leading to eternal life. We will ask that God will remove any willful blindness and to enable us to walk a straight path in an increasingly corrupt society.

National leaders worldwide are facing monumental challenges and are having to make decisions now that will impact our lives for decades to come. We will pray for God’s mercy on us all so that we may continue to have the freedoms we now enjoy: freedom to preach the truth without reservation, to travel, to associate with other believers, to worship God as we are commanded in scripture, and freedom of conscience.

We would welcome anyone who would like to set aside this day to pray and fast with us. We know of many brethren facing personal trials. These may be tests of character, financial troubles, ill health, discouragement, or loneliness. Accordingly, this will be a special time for us to pray for each other asking God to meet our every need and to comfort the faint of heart. We know that God hears our prayers for others and that the fervent, effectual prayers of a righteous people are precious in God’s eyes.

Jesus Christ is building His spiritual temple, His Church! And we, brethren, are called to be co-workers with Him, labouring as it were to spiritually “build up the walls of Jerusalem,” which is the city of the King of kings and Lord of lords. Like Nehemiah and Ezra we recognize that we absolutely need God’s sustenance and encouragement to make any progress in the face of opposition and setbacks. If we are to continue to be “the restorers of paths to dwell in,” faithful teachers of the truth of scripture, and doers of the word of God and not just forgetful hearers, then we need the continued presence of His Helper to work peacefully and productively with others of a like mind who are similarly engaged in building up Jerusalem’s walls. This is a time of uncertainty. It is also a time when evil men are waxing worse. So to meet these challenges we need our faith to wax stronger in order that we may be alert and ready to come to each other’s aid as the need arises, just as in the times of Nehemiah. We need God’s protection against the adversary who is attacking us, who is seeking to overwhelm us and dismantle what has already been built.

The work that God sets before us, to teach all nations and be a light of his Way, is our mission in life. It is an awesome calling, a profession that fully engages our heart and mind. Yet we see how great the task is and how insufficient we are of ourselves. We will pray together for God’s merciful hand in guiding us to serve Him in teaching our generation His instructions for living and preaching God’s good news, in the most effective manner with the talents and resources he has given us.
With love,
Your family in the faith at Cogwebcast

Monday—January 17, 2005What a great day we had today. Last night we had a reasonable sleep, but there was a continuous “white noise” in the background that we couldn’t avoid in our room. The pool’s pump room next door made it seem as if we were berthed beside a ship’s engine. The woman at the reception desk graciously allowed us to change to a different room: one that had a great ocean view. Ask, and ye shall receive! Why is man-made noise generally so annoying and disagreeable while the sound of the Creator’s ocean waves crashing on the beach is relaxing melody to the soul? Here it was the month of January and I had the window open to listen to the ocean and the wind. It was a bit brisk, but not too cold.

Breakfast at the resort was a real bonus. They allowed us to upgrade to having the resort’s buffet breakfast for only a few Cypriot pounds each. Today, I enjoyed olives, tomatoes, creamy plain yogurt, grapefruit and pineapple slices, wholemeal bread, fried eggs, and white coffee. Of course, we simply avoid the offerings of bacon and sausage without comment. I complimented the maitre d’ about the quality of the food and he mentioned that for 30 years he has tried to constantly improve the meals his restaurant serves. But he said that there were always about one or two percent of the clientele whom he could never please.

I suppose there is a spiritual lesson here. After a bit more than 30 years in the Church am I pleased and wholly satisfied with the continually improving spiritual nourishment that God spreads out for me in his daily spiritual buffet from the scriptures? Or do I whine, complain, and find fault with this minor thing or that unsatisfied fancy?

At our first Greek Cypriot breakfast we ate like pigs but not on the pork or seafood offerings because we followed this admonition from the apostle Paul: “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer (1 Tim. 4:4-5). And we who live by every word of God know that those foods sanctified in God’s word (Leviticus 11 and Deuterononmy 14) do not include pork, prawns, or other meats God calls unclean. However, one of the innovations that Paul brought to the preaching of the Gospel to the Greco-Roman world was his understanding that strict observance of the Pharisaical regulations, in which he had been reared for most of his life, regarding strictly kosher food preparation, serving, and sourcing need not be rigorously observed. For the Christian, food considered fit for consumption only had to be sanctified by God’s literal written word and prayer. As an example, beef or lamb purchased from a Greek butcher and prepared in a Greek’s kitchen was good to eat—maybe even if it had been slaughtered in front of an idol or was served in dishes that had previous contained some milk product like yogurt or cheese—because it qualified as being edible (“clean”) under a literal reading of God’s word in Leviticus 11.

On the other hand, a good Orthodox Jew would have followed the added regulations eventually codified by the descendants of those Pharisees in what is now called the oral law. These practices were labeled in the Gospels of the New Covenant as the “traditions of the elders” (Mark 7:1-13). An Orthodox Jew during the first century A.D. would not have eaten such meat or for that matter any food whatsoever prepared in a regular Greek Cypriot’s kitchen.

Consequently, it is hardly surprising that we read in the epistles of Paul that there was considerable tension in the early Church over these issues. Some Jewish believers thought the Greek gentile converts should, before becoming bona fide Church members, completely adopt the entire Orthodox Jewish halachah (way of life) with its requirement for physical circumcision of adults and adherence of the oral law in addition to the written Torah (law or teaching) that God had given directly to Moses (Galatians 2:12-14).

The apostles Paul and Barnabas, however, argued that the Greek converts could retain their Greek cultural identity and that they only had to modify certain culinary and moral practices in order to conform to the explicit requirements spelled out by the spiritual teaching given in the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures.

So to summarize, according to Paul and Barnabas, the Greek Christian converts did not have to first adopt the full Jewish way of life or halachah and so become full converts or proselytes to Judaism (become full Jews culturally and religiously) —as defined in the “traditions of the elders”—before they could really become Christian converts. They only had to follow the explicit Torah requirements required of strangers who lived with the Children of Israel (for example, Leviticus 17:8-18:30 and Leviticus 3:17). Now, this is a far cry from the “no law” position that some commentators try to put into the mouth of Paul. Paul did not abrogate the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures. Rather he specifically cited and innovatively applied the Torah to a new situation. The Apostle James and the Jerusalem conference as a whole, as recorded in Acts 15 endorsed Paul and Barnabas’ argument. So that is the reason we as lineal spiritual descendants of Paul, Barnabas, and James were able to eat our Greek Cypriot “breaky” (sans bacon) with relish this morning!

After picking up our hired car, we went shopping at our first Greek Cypriot supermarket, Papantoniou’s. It was a fascinating experience in how a different culture can take a routine shopping experience and transform it into the whimsical. One thing I loved about this store was their bilingual Greek/English signage. For instance the sign for the supermarket aisle selling sheets and linens was rendered in English as “White gods” [sic]. We later came across a store selling local handicrafts that proudly announced its trade in “Arts and Grafts.” Ah, perhaps that shopkeeper was just being honest!

The common English spelling for some words seems to escape the Greeks. We explored the so-called birthplace of Aphrodite on the Akama peninsula this afternoon. After parking the car we walked down the wooded path to see this spot advertised as a must see for tourists and were rewarded by fantastic views of the ocean and an official sign from the Cypriot Department of Forests that seriously proclaimed the location as “the birthplace of Aphrodite, the coddess of love who used to bath in this crotto” [sic].

Now coming from Canada I thought we knew all there was to know about cod, but I guess not. Maybe our cod stocks in the Grand Banks have collapsed because something has happened to the coddess of love. Sounds fishy, eh? But perhaps this should all give us pause when we do our word studies in foreign languages written thousands of years ago. We would do well to heed the advice of Paul when he wrote to Timothy admonishing him to not get involved in conflicts that hinge on semantics, “striving over words (1Timothy 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:14).”

But now, we are looking forward to our evening meal. Scripture tells us what is good food – cod for example is a clean sea creature – so as Christians living in a gentile world we are able to enjoy the delights of Cypriot cuisine and the hospitality of our Cypriot host, if in a limited way…. We can say graciously.“Yes, thank-you, the sheep’s liver and lamb kebab will be just a fine substitute for the calamari, prawns, and pork chop on tonight’s mezze menu.” Mmmm…it was a memorable meal, the stuffed grape leaves, olives, kebab, pita, hummous, yes and even the sheep’s liver!

Cyprus Journal –Preaching the Good News

Sunday—January 16, 2005We flew into Paphos, Cyprus, for our vacation about 8 o’clock at night in the midst of a winter storm complete with lightning flashes and blustery winds. After clearing immigration, the representative from the travel company cracked the expected jokes to the planeload of Brits about bringing in the bad weather so as to feel right at home. But then, maybe it was the five Canucks from British Columbia’s Vancouver Island who squeezed on board that were responsible for what would be our typical BC January weather blowing off the Pacific Ocean—wet but rather mild temperature-wise.
It was thrilling to come to Cyprus despite our thunder and blitzen welcome and to be on the island anciently known as Kittim, the reputed birthplace of the fertility goddess Aphrodite. So many exciting things happened here during the early days of the Church. (continue reading…)

Adam and Eve and the Forbidden Fruit

Is Eve more guilty than Adam?

By Jean Jantzen

In our modern twentieth century perspective, most people within the Christian community suppose that Mother Eve was totally responsible for the fall of humanity and the dire consequences that followed her actions in the Garden of Eden. The origin of mankind’s trouble begins with the encounter between Eve and the beautiful serpent in the Garden. It is in this garden where Eve succumbs to the temptation to partake of the fruit of the tree of good and evil. Was only Eve then responsible? What was Adam’s role or accountability in this major historical event? If Adam and Eve were put on trial for their part in “the forbidden fruit episode”, what would be the outcome? It is the popular view that I would like to explore and see if there is any validity to the accusations.

First, the initial steps leading up to this critical crossroads for all future humanity are important in determining the motivation and responsibility not only of Eve, but her husband Adam. Let’s pick up the story in Genesis 2:7. It is Adam who is first formed personally by the Creator God out of the clay of the ground. The Master Potter lovingly forms His masterpiece, with His own hands, out of red clay. Adam was then appointed byGod to an executive position over the Garden of Eden. Adam alone was given this responsibility of leadership. However, before these responsibilities were given, Adam was fully informed by God of his obligations in the Garden domain. His job was not only to name the various animals, but also to dress, cultivate, maintain, and preserve the garden. He seemed happy to do so.

Adam was also given explicit instructions in Genesis 2:17

” but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

When these vitally important instructions were given to Adam, Eve did not exist. It wasn’t until after Adam named all the animals in the garden that God caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam. Adam was made deeply aware that he was alone on the earth. There was no one quite like him. No one he could talk to. The animals were not capable of fulfilling his human need for companionship. It states there was not found a “help meet” for him. “Meet” is described as suitable, fitting, proper, or appropriate. In other words, Adam needed someone more like himself. When Adam was asleep God created Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. Adam was deliriously happy as can be demonstrated by his words when he first beheld Eve,

“This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Genesis 2:23).

She was entirely different from any of the animals that Adam had named. He knew he had something very special, something unique, in this woman that God had provided for him. She was beautiful and she was a part of his very flesh. Eve must have had a profound effect upon Adam, because his judgment from this point on seems to be rather faulty.Soon after becoming Adam’s wife it is apparent there is no in-depth instruction given to Eve about the tree of good and evil before her encounter with the beautiful serpent in Genesis 3:1 which says:

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Let’s understand the definition of deception and what happened to Eve. Deception consists of using a lie to promote something that is not of value. Someone that deceives is a scammer. The intent of deception is to exchange something of inferior value for something that is of value. We deceive ourselves and others when we value temporary, material things over spiritual things. Deception leads us away from God. (AcessJesus.com)

Eve relied primarily on purely scientific observation to determine her decision on whether to eat of the fruit. Eve saw or observed that “the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes” (Genesis 3:6). I am sure she reasoned how could something that looked so good be unfit to eat? We do know, however, that Satan was the world’s first con artist. The job of the con is to first isolate, then divide and conquer, or “To swindle (a victim) by first winning his or her confidence; dupe.” He waited till Eve was alone and then he put on the charm. Eve understood intellectually about what God said for she tells the serpent:

“We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

The serpent then puts doubts about God in Eve’s mind. The serpent is calling God’s Word and motivation into question and appealing to Eve’s vanity. Satan is the father of all liars. (John 8:44) Listen to his words:

“For God does know that in the day you eat thereof. You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4,5).

If Adam and his wife had talked earlier and at any length about the consequences of eating of the tree of good and evil, I think she would have thought twice, or at least consulted her husband, before she ate of the fruit. Otherwise, how was she so easily persuaded? We need to comprehend and recognize the real power of persuasion the devil exerts over the human mind. The Apostle Paul was aware of this very real power when he warns the Corinthian brethren:

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2Cor11:3)

Paul tells us that before our calling and even afterwards we still may be deceived by this super being who is the prince of the power of the air.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others”(Ephesians2:1-3)

Like Eve, we could be deceived by this powerful spirit being with hardly being aware of it. She was convinced in her mind that the fruit was good, so she ate it, and then gave it to her husband. This was not a premeditated act. She did not decide in advance to go against God’s specific instructions about the tree. She was not in the leadership role. She was, in fact, deceived by the first great con.

Adam had been given the responsibility of leadership earlier, before Eve’s existence. Obviously, it was Adam’s responsibility to instruct his wife about God’s commands concerning the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It was of utmost importance! It was one of God’s first instructions to Adam. lt meant life or death! The Genesis account does not tell why Adam neglected to stress the magnitude of God’s commands to Eve. Nevertheless, it was neglected and with catastrophic consequences.

Did Eve twist her husband’s arm after she ate the fruit? No. It states plainly she ate and ” gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat”(Gen 3:6). No sign of a struggle here! No sign of an argument! Adam knew all along what the consequences of his actions would be. His actions were premeditated. Eve’s were not. Adam was not deceived, (1Tim2:14) Eve was. A crime had been committed. God was certainly aware of that. He just wanted to hear what his disobedient children had to say for themselves. I think it is evident God knew beforehand that this would happen. He was not surprised.

Take note that after the deception in the garden, God did not confront Eve first about her part in the affair, nor did He confront them both simultaneously, but the ” Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him … “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” (Genesis 3:9-11). It seems Adam had an abundance of human nature because he said “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” Did you notice that Adam puts the blame on God and the woman but takes no responsibility for his own actions. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?

Why would God direct this question to Adam? It was Eve who took of the fruit and gave it to her husband; so why didn’t God approach Eve instead? This action taken by the Creator clearly reveals that God held Adam responsible for what happened. When God asks Eve her part in it, He does not ask her the same question as he did Adam. God only asks her, “What have you done”? (Genesis 3:13). Eve does not take responsibility for her action either, but realizes it was the serpent who beguiled her.

Further evidence of Adam’s accountability to God’s command about the tree of good and evil is found Genesis 3:17.

“Unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee saying; Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake”,

This account is quite specific in the fact that, in keeping these vital instructions, it was Adam that was held responsible by God, not only for himself, but his wife as well.

Regardless of what Adam or Eve’s motivations or responsibilities were, they both had to suffer the consequences of their actions. To conclude, in the original creation account it is without question that the main responsibility for the whole unfortunate incident lies on the shoulders of Adam, not Eve. If their actions were compared to a murder trial, Eve would be tried for manslaughter and Adam for first-degree murder as his act was premeditated and Eve’s was not. God’s sentence on them was just and promptly carried out. So, in the twentieth century, women can now relax about their role in the fall of mankind and realize that the husband is the head and takes the brunt of the guilt for this unfortunate incident in the Garden. But no one should ever relax in their Christian journey, but be forever on guard against this wily con artist known as the devil.

Join us in the Okanagan

This year the Feast of Tabernacles 2011, Oct. 12-Oct 20, will be celebrated in Canada’s “Napa Valley,” at the city of Penticton in British Columbia’s spectacular Okanagan region. This beautiful area has hosted the feast for many years.

Marraige is an institution that has lasted for millennia to establish family life and uphold society. Godly marriages have even greater purpose and teach us profound lessons in spiritual living. Jeff Patton searches the scriptures and exhorts us to grow godly marriage relationships that reject selfishness and are built upon the spiritual resources of honesty, faithfulness, forgiveness, and love.Play SermonDownload(continue reading…)

God gave the nation of Israel a job to do. They were not his “pet” people; they were called into a relationship with Him and given a very important mission. As Christians we as a group are also called to fulfill a mission and accomplish God’s purpose. What is that mission? Jeff Patton examines the history of God’s people to make plain God’s mission for all those who live in covenant with Him.

There is a small, but vocal, group of educational professionals who are deeply worried about the intellectual abilities of young people in secondary and post-secondary education these days. Mark Bauerlein, a professor of English at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, said in his recently published book The Dumbest Generation:

So what is real success? Christ turned the notions of his day upside-down by declaring that the disciples’ view of “leadership,” patterned after the Roman model, was erroneous. Jeff talks about a Christian perspective on “servants” and the significance of Christ’s example of footwashing to Christians who are observing the Passover season.

Christ, the I Am, and Lord of the Passover, the one who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, requires His people to pay attention to the lessons of this Holyday season and be ready for action. Jeff Patton examines the message of the festival of unleavened bread, and answers the question, “What should a Christian community do in response to divine intervention and deliverance?”

God’s Providence.
How does God work in our lives? Many people are currently facing severe difficulties this spring due to the flooding in Manitoba and along the Mississippi River. Yet, when we who believe in God’s providence face such challenges, we can have confidence that God will work for our good. Jeff Patton reflects on God’s personal interest in us and our welfare and how he works in our lives for our good.

God’s wish for all of us is that it “may be well with us” and that we should prosper and be in good health. From modern science we have learned much in the past century about the mind-body connection. But really, what science offers is perhaps only a confirmation of insights that our Creator provided thousands of years ago in His instruction manual for living. Jeff Patton delves deeper into the biblical instructions that God provides for our mental and physical well-being.

In the Christian’s journey from Passover to Pentecost there are fundamental lessons about God’s nature and the Christian life that we can rehearse. The journey of the Israelites in the wilderness during this season millennia ago provides us foundational lessons in living. Jeff Patton reminds us that God is our healer. But there is a big “IF” attached to God’s healing promise. God sets conditions and offers opportunities for us to reap the benefits of His teaching. Will we heed God’s advice, instructions in healthy living that the Egyptians did not know, and as a result, suffer “none of these diseases” that the Egyptians experienced?

In Japan, siesmologists and engineers were astounded by the amount of destruction caused by “liquefaction” in areas where buildings were built on fill or sandy soils. In the gospels Christ reiterates this spiritual message that building on sand leads to destruction. Jeff Patton asks you to consider, “What is the rock that you, as a Christian should build your life on, so you have a sure foundation?” The answer will present some surprises to those who adhere to traditional teaching, rather than sola scriptura.

A building without integrity may receive structural damage, or even collapse, in a storm. Similarly, people without integrity are blown about by the winds of misfortune and destroyed by catastrophes, for they lack the firmness, solidity, and strength of character to weather any storm. Dr. William Menninger (1899 ~ 1966) called integrity one of the six essential qualities that are the key to success.

Have you ever tuned into Moment of Truth? I accidentally did the other night. Contestants answer a series of 21 increasingly personal and embarrassing questions to receive cash prizes. One contestant, a mother of three and a volunteer firefighter was asked: “Have you ever shoplifted from a store and given it to your kids?” The woman laughed and said “yes, all the time.” I was so astonished by her response I listened to more. The next question was: “Have you ever set fire to a neighbours’ property and the answer was again “Yes.” “Do you want attention from men other than your husband?” “Yes!” “Have you ever stolen anything from a relative’s house?” “Yes!” “Did you ever cheat on your Red Cross first aide exam?” “Yes!” “As a volunteer firefighter have you ever ignored a call to come when you were called?” And again the answer was an astonishing yes! Hopefully not too many people would shoot themselves in the foot as that contestant was doing.

The young woman was laughing all the while. Of course she had taken a lie detector test before being on the show and a voice was telling the audience whether the woman’s answers were true or false. And they were all true so far. It was evident she was only confessing to win money. Yet she didn’t get too much further before she was caught in a lie.

I don’t know about the rest of America but I was shocked at her answers. She seemed to have no ethics and was glibly admitting it before the world for cash. What was she thinking? What was she teaching her children? Is she a product of our society? How important is honest and upright character to God? The totally honest person recognizes, sometimes unconsciously, that everything he or she does is a statement about who he or she really is as a person. This woman’s vision of right and wrong was entirely out of focus.

In Redefining Morality John Schroeder states “America is now fighting a crucial civil war over moral values within its own borders. Put another way, a culture virtually devoid of adherence to biblical standards and often openly hostile to them, is rapidly growing right inside its own geographical borders” (The Good News March-April 2008).

In his book When Nations Die cultural commentator Jim Black “documents 10 key factors that led to the decline and collapse of earlier great powers such as ancient Greece and Rome. He sees the United States standing at a historic crossroads, afflicted with those same symptoms…The spiritual and intellectual qualities of American life are seriously degraded, and the soul of the nation is in jeopardy”(1994 p 7).

A recent report in Psychology Today concluded: “The most significant predictor of a person’s moral behavior may be religious commitment. People who consider themselves very religious were least likely to report deceiving their friends, having extramarital affairs, cheating on their expenses accounts, or even parking illegally.” Based on this finding, what we believe about Creation has a decided effect on our moral thinking and our behavior. Without belief in a Creator, the only option that seems to be left is to adhere to moral standards we make up for ourselves.”

Integrity is the foundation of character. And character development is one of the most important activities we can engage in; working on our character means disciplining ourselves to do more and more of those things that a thoroughly honest person would do, under all circumstances. This takes the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to stand out in a crowd in a good way and that we honour God in all our actions. The community people we know, any endeavor we are apart of, our places of employment; they should recognize our good and upright character and witness our acts of kindness, honesty, gentleness.
Do you remember the days when most people had personal integrity? Remember when your word was your bond? You could shake on a deal and it was good. I suspect those days truly were a long time ago. But people should see that our word is good, that we always show up when we say we’re going to, that they can count on us through thick and thin.
The other day we were finding a house to rent for our son and the owner didn’t want money or papers signed, said he believes in the old way…a handshake seals the deal…unbelievable in today’s world.
King David was familiar with what God expected from his people. He says “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent…” (1 Chronicles 29:17).

Nehemiah when building the walls around Jerusalem says, “I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah, the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do” (Nehemiah 7:2).
“Personal integrity is the number one quality of leadership. Integrity in leadership is expressed in terms of constancy and consistency. It is manifested in an absolute devotion to keeping one’s word. The glue that holds all relationships together ¬ including the relationship between the leader and the led ¬ is trust, and trust is based on personal integrity” (Brian Tracy Developing Personal Integrity).
Daniel and his friends became leaders in a foreign country because of their integrity. Right away these children refuse the kings’ menu of meat and wine, which probably was rich and tasty, but they insist on a diet of mainly vegetables and water…pretty amazing for children. Daniel was faithful in interpreting the king’s dreams good or bad, acknowledging God as interpreter. He was raised to a position of power and authority because of his integrity. Daniel never tried to hide his worship of the true God in a pagan nation, but prayed openly three times a day even though it put him in danger. God rewarded Daniel’s integrity, by protecting him from the mouth of the lion. And wow, listen to what the angel Gabriel told him “For you are greatly beloved.” (Daniel 9:21-23). To know that the God of the Universe thinks a great deal of one’s integrity is an awesome thing. One day we pray He thinks that of us because of our love, loyalty and integrity. The day we stand before Jesus Christ will be our moment of truth.

Christ, the I Am, and Lord of the Passover, the one who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, requires His people to pay attention to the lessons of this Holyday season and be ready for action. Jeff Patton examines the message of the festival of unleavened bread, and answers the question, “What should a Christian community do in response to divine intervention and deliverance?”

So what is real success? Christ turned the notions of his day upside-down by declaring that the disciples’ view of “leadership,” patterned after the Roman model, was erroneous. Jeff talks about a Christian perspective on “servants” and the significance of Christ’s example of footwashing to Christians who are observing the Passover season.

If we celebrate Passover and the spring festival season and delve into their roots in scripture we gain a great deal of understanding that most Christians miss concerning Christ, the wave sheaf. Jeff Patton relates this special ceremony to the events surrounding Christ’s resurrection and it’s meaning for all Christian’s who go to the mercy seat of God for help in time of need.

The story of scripture is a “good news” “bad news” story. That is why the apostle Paul admonishes us to examine ourselves. This self-reflection is of special importance prior to our renewing of our covenant at Passover and our partaking of the symbols of Christ’s sacrifice that ratifies our covenant with the Father. Jeff Patton takes a closer look at Christ’s role of mediator and our hope that is confirmed through the covenant promises.

How do we, as a society, effectively respond to evil? This week the B.C. Supreme Court Justice Robert Johnston sentenced Kruse Hendrik Wellwood, 17, and Cameron Alexander Moffat, 18, to life in prison with no possibility for parole for 10 years. They were convicted by a large amount of grisly evidence and by the testimony of their own mouths.

On Friday, April 1, 2011, the Wisconsin state governor Scott Walker signed into law an immensely controversial bill passed by that state’s legislature the previous evening despite death threats, intimidation, and large demonstrations by organized labour supporters. The new law effectively puts this Midwestern state’s public-sector unions on a diet of low-fat cheese at a time when many American states and municipalities are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. The consequences of such defaults on state and municipal financial obligations would be profound…

Jesus Christ, the Saviour, began his ministry with reading an important passage of scripture from the scroll of Isaiah on the Sabbath in his hometown of Nazareth. Jeff Patton explains Christ’s message of deliverance and forgiveness and it’s relevance to the meaning of the Sabbath and our observance of God’s day of rest.

God has great expectations of those who serve Him and desire to draw near to him. Jeff Patton takes you on a journey through the scriptures describing a time during the Persian Empire not unlike our own, when the people of God were divided but a work needed to be done. It is amazing what God will do through those who draw near to him in obedience to his divine instructions.

God gives a powerful message of hope and encouragement to the remnant of his people who are doing His work in a hostile environment. Jeff Patton examines those “days of small beginnings” during the time of Zerubbabel to motivate and instruct us in rebuilding the household of God in our time.

The church is a divided church not unlike that of the apostle Paul’s day. As it was then, so today, people are giving their allegiance to a variety of men and organizations. God, however, has a mandate that he has given Christians, to heal the divisions and restore the paths of righteousness. Jeff Patton talks about General Robert E. Lee’s contribution to peace after the civil war and the biblical mandate to restore the walls of honour.

Moral relativism, the idea that every person is their own moral authority, is the reigning ethos of our time. But what are the fruits of this philosophy? Christians seeking eternal life in the Kingdom of God, must know who is the guiding authority in their life and what is the source of truth. Jeff Patton challenges every Christian to reconsider these fundamental questions, and pursue the one and only path to the tree of life.

The gospel message includes the important promise that the saints will inherit the Kingdom. But who are the saints, how did they become saints, and when do they inherit the Kingdom of God? The answers to these questions are clearly outlined in scripture. So, are you a saint?

The good news of the Kingdom of God is a powerful message about a change in world government and how that transformation will take place. In a world full of corrupt and self-serving leadership the thought of a restoration of righteous leadership over all the earth gives every Christian hope.

Mark was the first gospel writer to record for us the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ, how it started and what it was all about. Jeff Patton leads viewers on a quest through the scriptures to uncover the key elements of the gospel, the Good News.

God has had his agents in the world working his purpose in circumstances or conflicts on a world scale or a family one, to make His name known and His power manifest. Whether the loving concern of Naaman’s captive Israelite slave girl, or the compassionate heroism of nameless resistance workers who helped thousands evade the Holocaust, God’s un-named heroes have left a legacy for those who seek to serve God today.

There are many gospels in the world proclaimed by a plethora of religious teachers. In fact, the scriptures warn us that there would be false gospels. There were already false gospels being preached during the time of the apostles and our day is no different in this regard. So how can you discern the true gospel that leads to a right relationship with God? Jeff Patton begins to delve into this vital topic of, “What is the true gospel?”

Many people think of the church as a building, a service, a denomination or sect, but what does the bible say about the nature and function of the church? Jeff Patton explains the teaching of scripture. You may be surprised!

Be sure to check out a preview of things to come with our new website at cogwebcast.com. You will be able to watch the live webcast at the same time @ 11:30 AM PST on Sabbath (Saturday). The webcast will work on both sites for now, and we have started archiving messages on COGWebcast. COG Nanaimo will still be available until all of the functionality of COG Webcast has been realized.

The apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews that we will not see God unless we are holy. But what does it mean to be holy? And how can we become holy as God is holy? Jeff Patton takes a fresh look at the writings of the apostles and the connection between their teaching on holiness and the “holiness code” of the Hebrew scriptures.

The beginning of something new is always a challenge, whether it’s the year, a job, or a renewed desire to share your knowledge of God with others. The most important thing to do is to make sure the steps you take are part of your walk with God. Join Jeff as he explores what walking with God really means, and how it’s essential to be in locked-step with God towards His Kingdom.

The meetings this past week with the CGI council representatives were enlightening. We now have a clearer understanding of the issues and the possibilities for the future. We will be discussing possible courses of action this weekend and drafting a response to the CGI council. Your prayers for wisdom and God’s guidance would be greatly appreciated.

We will post the outcome of these discussions next week.
Thank you for your patience as we work through these matters in a calm and orderly fashion.

We will not be hosting a live sermon today, as we are still in the process of trying to resolve some challenges that the local church has posed. We at cognanaimo.org have asked our international organization, CGI Tyler, Texas, to help in this situation and a series of meetings is being held December 21-23 to assist us in coming to a resolution. They have asked that we not webcast until after those meetings. So in the spirit of cooperation we have agreed.

We would appreciate your prayers for a positive outcome to this challenge and that God’s will be accomplished during these meetings. We value your loyal support and would encourage you to view one of the archived sermons this Sabbath. One appropriate to this time of year is: Here from Dec 19th 2009

We would also ask that you e-mail us at cognanaimo.orgATgmail.com with your suggestions for future sermon and bible study topics, so we can address your needs more effectively in 2011. Alternatively you can use the contact form on the Contact Us page.

Next weekend, though there will be no live sermon at our regular time (11:30 pst), we hope to offer a live chat session moderated by one of us on the topic of Christians and Cultural Holidays. We would like to discuss the biblical criteria a Christian should use in determining what occasions they should or could celebrate with other Christians or non-believers. We would appreciate having a variety of perspectives from viewers around the world, and your stories of the challenges you face in this regard, and how you have dealt with them.

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – August 8th 2009
Standing in front of the former Ambassador Hall in Pasadena CA, inscribed is “The Word of God is the foundation of knowledge”, how ironic, the leadership of that previous organization departed from the basis that the Word of God is the foundation of knowledge.They thought instead that they could come up with some other things, and because they had the positions of power and due to the very hierarchical nature of the organization the leaders thought that they could speak with authority and do whatever they wished.
Should we follow leaders just because they speak with authority? Are they speaking from God’s viewpoint or are they speaking from their own? Who should you listen to and who are your authorities?
Your word is the Truth – John 17:17

There will not be webcasting of a live service or bible study this Sabbath November 19-20. We hope you will take the time to profit from one of cognanaimo’s archived sermons instead as several older ones have been recently refreshed. There is an important meeting of the Church of God International taking place this weekend in Cincinnati and everyone here at cognanaimo would solicit your prayers for God’s guidance and inspiration for all the members of the Ministerial Council. We wish you all the blessings of God’s peace and comfort on his Holy Day.

Thank you,
COG Nanaimo

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. – 2 Timothy 2:8-10

God’s truth stands firm like a foundation stone with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and “All who belong to the Lord must turn away from evil.” – 2 Timothy 2:19 NLT (continue reading…)

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – August 1st 2009
Alex Kennedy poses the questions: What is Life, Why is Life, Why am I here, is Humanity the result of an alien probe that went wrong? Is it a cosmic accident? Or simply an evolution from that cosmic accident? Or is it the design from a great designer?

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – July 18th 2009
Human beings for thousand of years have been driven by their fears. The history of humanity is written in the fear of men and women. Are you afraid of death, are you afraid of losing your job, are you afraid of an accident? Jeff Patton talks on how our fears can cripple us and our own fears can become reality. Jesus tells us to not worry about our life, what we will drink, eat, or wear. He even tells us that if we worry about it we cannot add another hour to our lives. So how do we overcome our fears?

Weekly Sermon – November 6th, 2010
The world tone has been changing, where is it leading and how will it affect every Christian? Jeff Patton evaluates some modern views and opinions that will affect every fundamentalist bible believing Christian.

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – July 4, 2009
Jeff Patton poses the question: Are you a spiritual seeker? Michael Jackson was, but he never found what he was looking for. What are you seeking? Is there a right way to seek God? The answers are found in the Bible, one of the answers is simple, we should seek what lasts. But what lasts, and what should we seek?

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – June 27, 2009
Jeff Patton talks about how Christianity is a way of life and about the two great commandments. First to love your God with all your heart, soul and mind (your being) and second to love your neighbour as yourself. Your neighbour is anyone who needs your help, not just the guy to your right or the girl to the left.

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – June 20, 2009
Jeff Patton Speaks about our Father in heaven, and the greatest four letter word of our society, not the f*** word that many of us hear every day. No this word is the real f-word to society; OBEY.

Due to our location, we cannot connect to the chat server found on the live stream window, if you can give some some comments indicating so would be helpful. We can, however, still connect to the chat-back chat server.
Thank you,
COG Nanaimo (at the feast)

Weekly Sermon – September 11th, 2010
Islam has captivated over a billion people, as believers in Christ shouldn’t we know where it stands concerning some of our foundational beliefs? Jeff Patton gives a step by step overview of the contrasting views of God and faith found in the Bible versus the teachings from the koran.

Weekly Sermon – September 9th, 2010
Has corruption and failure of our worldly leaders affected your lives? Have you noticed a need for God to reclaim the world for his kingdom? Watch this sermon by Jeff Patton as he reveals that the Feast of Trumpets envisions much more than this world can offer us.

Please remember to pray for each other and the brethren in Pentiction, the Vancouver Lower Mainland, and here on the Island.

15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

Weekly Sermon – August 28th, 2010
Canada, and for that matter the western nations have collectively turned their backs on the God of the Bible, forgetting his teachings, laws and purpose for us. God has manifested his invisible nature through the creation of the world, and the things in it. Jeff Patton talks about the God of the Bible, his plan and purpose for humanity that he has put in to place before the world existed, and it will not be stopped. God through his magnificent existence is reproducing himself in mankind. Will you honour God and seek the old paths, worshiping him in Spirit and in truth?

Weekly Sermon – August 8th, 2010
As we live on the planet earth, we encounter a great many situations that are stressful. Jeff Patton talks about stress in our lives, and the stresses the prophet Jeremiah faced at a time when the world seemed like it was falling apart.
See how God was there for him through it all.

Weekly Sermon – July 31th, 2010
As humans we should be extremely thankful that one of God’s most important characteristics is patience, long-suffering, and slowness to anger. Rick Dubler examines how important these characteristics can be to a christian who is trying to grow into the likeness of God!

Weekly Sermon – July 17th, 2010
Jeff Patton speaks about the Supremacy of God in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms that was recently in the news. God is Sovereign because he is our creator and he has created all things, but many today do not believe or acknowledge this as is the case with Atheism and much of the politicians ruling our nations.

Weekly Sermon – July 03th, 2010
There is power in leadership, and this leadership can determine the outcome for nations, for churches, and for individuals. Leadership is the key to growth where trust and self examination are essential qualities our leaders need.

Weekly Sermon – June 26th, 2010
Our relationship with God isn’t two dimensional, Jeff talks about four aspects that reflect our relationship with God. Son (&daughter) and father relationship, discipleship, slave (and servant) and master relationship, subject and King relationship.

The presentations given by Bill Watson on his recent visit to Nanaimo, BC are now available for download.
If you like this feature please let us know, and we can make other Sermons and Messages available for download.

Bible Study – June 18th, 2010Prophesy of the bible and what is important to know today? Bill Watson talks about the Beast power and the kingdoms of the new world order that will be established including the changes in world economics, debt, and the signs of our current times.

We are pleased to host Bill Watson for a Friday evening Bible Study “Closing In On Revelation 18″. The Bible Study will start at 7:00pm Friday June 18th and will be held at the St. Andrews United Church, 311 Fitzwilliam St. For the 11:30am Sabbath service on the 19th, Mr. Watson has prepared a sermon entitled “Staying Clean In A Dirty World”. Lunch will be provided by the local congregation following Sabbath services. If further information is required Eric and Angela Jantzen can provide directions and details at 250-714-1117.

Weekly Sermon – June 5th, 2010
We are often let down and failed by the leaders in our society and quite often what these leaders please not only lacks human wisdom, but also treats the wisdom of the Creator with distain. WE KNOW BETTER … we think. Has our human pride and arrogance set us on the path to destruction?!Play Sermon

Weekly Sermon – May 22th, 2010
Jeff Patton talks about the relationship of the spirit of the law and the letter of the law. Do they clash in their purpose, or is the world of traditional Christianity not fully understanding the true relationship between the letter and the spirit?

COGNanaimo is now on Twitter!
Get updates on the latest and greatest we have to offer including articles, announcements, events, sermon messages, and youth bible materials. Spread the word, the good news about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Here is your chance to help:Share it with your friends! Who knows maybe it will be you who puts that little spark of interest in someone’s mind.

Neither I nor you.
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I.
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

Christina Georgina Rossetti

The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” John 3:8.

When I feel the wind on my cheek on a hot day and appreciate how refreshing it is, I think about the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit. Those who are called and receive this gift experience a miracle. It made me think back on the Church in the Wilderness and the problems they were not able to overcome because of a lack of this extraordinary gift.

The Israelites were rescued from the drudgery and horror of slavery, they witnessed the ten plagues on Egypt, the leading of millions by the cloud during the day and the pillar of fire by night, the escape from the Egyptian army at the parting of the Red Sea, the miracle of water from a rock, the miracle of manna. They should have been without excuse. We could go on and on, yet these people did not get it; they did not have God’s remarkable gift to mankind. They were exposed to God and His law, to God’s message and to God’s miracles. They saw, they heard, they experienced, yet they did not get the message.

“But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus … I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known” (Zechariah 7:11-14).

What did they lack? God’s Holy Spirit. That is the key! Evidently that is all the Israelites lacked. God wanted the world to know that without Him they cannot be holy, they cannot be His children.

We can sit in church every day and read our bible daily, nevertheless, it takes the Spirit to open our eyes; it takes that remarkable gift to discern between truth and untruth. It gives us understanding. It guides us in every way through the potholes of this human life. It let’s us know when we’re about to do the wrong thing. It’s a small part of God living within us, but it is the divine that makes all the difference. The apostle Paul declares that the Holy Spirit and the human spirit bear dual witness to the fact that we are children of God. (Romans 8: 16)

So even though the Israelites saw the miracles, were delivered from bondage—it says the word preached to them did not profit them. (Hebrew 4:2) God knows what He is doing. He calls those He knows can make it. God doesn’t make mistakes in those He calls. The question is: “Would we give up so easily if we had God’s Spirit?” Repentance, baptism is serious…we need to take the gift of the Spirit seriously, to treasure and not neglect it, to ask God for more of it, to stir it up, to listen to its guidance, to yield ourselves to the divine part of ourselves.

The Church in the Wilderness heard God’s voice thundering the Ten Commandments… and still they did not get it and God knew they wouldn’t. They had human nature and were missing that crucial ingredient that was holy and could make them holy. Now is a different story…we have access to God’s throne through his Spirit. We should never take Christ’s sacrifice, nor his gift of the Holy Spirit lightly.

I don’t know if we stop on occasion to realize and get on our knees and thank God for the gift of the miraculous transforming power of the Holy Spirit or if sometimes we take it for granted. The most important thing for us to learn is to treasure what an awesome gift we do have, that the Creator God of this great universe died in order that we may have it, and that inside each of us is a part of the Divine. God’s Spirit is the power that liberates us from being “slaves of sin” (Romans 6:16-18). Indeed, God’s Spirit profoundly changes people! Paul wrote that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

Anyone should be really serious about taking that first step of baptism and to count the cost before they commit themselves to this way because God tests us continuously to see if we will obey His voice. Never take lightly the incredible gift we have been given. (Read Romans 8 God’s Spirit in us.)

“If you love me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don’t see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you” (John 14:15-17).

“I tell you for certain that before you can get into God’s kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. Humans give life to their children. Yet only God’s Spirit can change you into a child of God. Don’t be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. Only God’s Spirit gives new life” (John 3: 5-8).

Weekly Sermon – May 15th, 2010
Some Christians have an aversion to keeping the law. What is needed is a paradigm shift from thinking that we have a burden to keep the law, to the realization that the law of God keeps us. Jeff Patton reminds us of this lesson as he explores the lives of several of God’s faithful servants.

Your Roots Your Destiny

Introduction

Does God keep His promises? Would He be willing to have and maintain a close relationship with a human like me?

I don’t kid myself about being holy or perfect. There are even those occasions when I feel rebellious or tempted. Sometimes I do my own thing and I don’t want to listen to the Divine Authority Figure who tells me what is right or wrong. I admit it! There are moments when I think I know best and I behave like a spiritual teenager who won’t pay attention to His heavenly Father’s instructions. It seems as though I have to learn some things the hard way.

So why would an omnipotent God having all the power of the universe at His command want to keep up an on-going relationship with the likes of me? Wouldn’t a righteous, holy God eventually lose patience with my repeated mistakes and character flaws? Can I really depend on the Almighty to be there for me in spite of myself? After all, how can the Perfect One put up with the seemingly imperfectable? Why would He even want to bother?

Many people want a relationship with God these days. They’re interested in a spirituality that produces personal happiness and contentment. This is a search to know and to be known by God. They would agree with the statement “happy is the nation whose God is the Lord. Happy are the people he chose for his very own” (Psalm 33:12, ICB). But the big problem with this generalized desire for spirituality is that many people know neither what this Supreme Being is really like nor what He requires from those who would like to build a relationship with Him. People today don’t know their spiritual roots. They don’t understand the nature of the covenant relationships that the Almighty and His Messiah offer to both individuals and whole communities.

The purpose of this writing is to help reveal answers to all the above questions. The example chosen to help impart this spiritual knowledge is that of the ancient Ten Tribes of Israel, who have become lost to the view of the secular world. Most biblical scholars think the Ten Tribes of Israelites simply ceased to exist when their political state called the Kingdom of Israel was conquered in the late 8th century B.C., and its inhabitants ethnically cleansed from their Promised Land.

Those northern Ten Tribes were historically distinct and politically separate for over 200 years from their brothers of the southern Two Tribes—eventually nicknamed “Jews”—who formed the Kingdom of Judah. Today everyone knows what happened to the Jews over the centuries because the Jews kept a knowledge of who they were and preserved written records of their history. However, according to mainstream scholarly opinion, the national, ethnic identity of the northern Ten Tribes was completely destroyed by war, disease and assimilation. As a consequence, 10 of the original 12 tribes of Hebrews who left Egypt under Moses, conquered Canaan with Joshua and built the magnificent Temple with Solomon, ceased to exist. They seemingly vanished, disappeared. They became lost, at least to the eyes of those writing history books.

That is certainly true. The Israelites of the northern Ten Tribes dropped out of sight. Nevertheless, this does not mean they ceased to exist. Perhaps a better description of what really happened to the Ten Tribes of Israel was that they were gradually but purposely hidden! After all, what are we to make of the scores of biblical prophecies that portray the descendants of the northern Ten Tribes as continuing to play significant roles on the world stage through time? Should the historical story and prophesied future of a majority of the people called “chosen” by God be considered unknowable, or maybe fictitious?

Many modern biblical scholars no longer believe that there really is such a thing as prophecy—a divinely inspired foretelling of future events. Such critics usually look at a message written by one of the biblical prophets as merely a historic and perhaps moralistic recounting of what had already happened. The idea that prophecy is tomorrow’s news written in advance is given short shrift. Authoritative statements in the Bible made in the name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel are often dismissed as mere pious hyperbole, hellfire-and-brimstone preaching, or maybe obscure spiritual metaphor. But the Bible’s own explanation about the nature of prophecy categorically states that it is an advance revelation of how God Almighty plans to intervene in the affairs of individuals, nations and the entire world:

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. Do not fear, or be afraid: have I not told you from of old and declared it? You [“Israel whom I have chosen,” verse 2] are my witnesses (Isaiah 44:6-8, NRSV)!

People who assume that God is dead or never existed in the first place are making a mistake. But it is an understandable mistake. To see things spiritually is a gift given by grace. Human materialistic thought cannot comprehend divine spiritual understanding. The apostle Paul made this point extremely clear:

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength (1 Corinthians 1:20-25, NRSV).

Just prior to creating human life on the earth, the book of Genesis tells us that God turned a dark and chaotic world into a beautiful home for his children. What steps did God take in fashioning the world for us?

Here is a chance to read the scriptures and think about Isaac’s childhood, growing up as the heir to God’s promises in the household of Abraham and Sarah. Then, rehearse the amazing story of how God chose a wife for Isaac.

This powerful story of two brothers who began their lives fighting in the womb is explored through a question and answer format. It leaves us with the vital question of whether we are like Jacob or Esau when it comes to our spiritual birthright.

Weekly Sermon – May 8th, 2010
Jeff Patton continues his series on love, Christians, and law.
Can you explain the relationship between our love for God and the law/torah of God?
In this installment, Jeff continues to examine the scriptures on this critical subject that helps define the faith of a Christian.Play Sermon

We do not have a meeting hall for May 8, but there will be a webcast at 11:30 am. Anyone wanting to participate in this home bible study can call 250 716-1141 to let us know that you will be coming.
Thanks, Jeff Patton

On a pleasant late July evening in Victoria, B.C. two years ago, 16-year-old Mark Arrieta pulled out a handgun at the strident urging of his 22-year-old “friend,” Somphanvanh Chanthabouala, and shot at point-blank range three other young people, seriously injuring two while killing 20-year-old University of Victoria student Philbert Truong.

Weekly Sermon – May 1st, 2010
Jeff Patton continues his series on law and grace, in this installment, he talks about the integrated relationship between the law and love and how they need each other to be properly used and expressed.

We had a question asking why the video on sermons and webcast was not showing up anywhere. It turns out older versions of Firefox and possibly other versions allowed ad blocking plugins and software to interact with the website scripts causing the player to not show but leaving a space.

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During the recently completed Easter/Passover season there were a great number of headlines in the various media sources I was following about the latest episode of the Roman Catholic Church and the illicit appetites of its clergy for pedophilia. This time around the scandal of Catholic priests sexually abusing children was stunning Europe. The media has been talking about incidents in Ireland and Germany where, it seems, some are questioning whether the current pope was actually involved himself in covering up some abuse cases that happened there, during the time he was in charge…

Weekly Sermon – April 5th, 2010
So why do we believe what we believe?! Jeff Patton talks about passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, and how biblical continuity is shown between the old and new covenant messages.

A script retelling the story of Exodus 1-12 and God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. This reading is a good way to rehearse the events leading up to that most memorable night when the death angel passed over Israel and Pharaoh commanded the people of Israel to leave Egypt.
Script for 5 major charactersDownload the PDF for the full version

Walking out of Egypt was an amazing and bold adventure and people must have faced their Exodus with many conflicting feelings. This lesson and art activity provides an opportunity for young people to think about the journey out of Egypt and perhaps engage the whole congregation in talking about this special event in the history of God’s people.Download the PDF Here

Weekly Sermon – January 16, 2010
This sermon explores the significance of Jerusalem to the people of God. Why is Jerusalem making headlines today? How has God viewed Jerusalem over the ages, and what does the future hold for Jerusalem?

If you believe mainstream economists, we are on the path leading out of “The Great Recession.” But even if this is true, there are a whole lot of jobs in North America, millions of jobs that need to be re-created just to get back to pre-2008 levels.

Honesty can be such a little thing, but the most important thing. There is no growth or change without it. It informs our conscience and provides the foundation and direction for our life.

Have you ever gone through the check-out line and just as you step away having paid for your purchases you look down at the foot of your cart and see a large item, say, toilet paper. This happened to me recently and not being too sure of my memory these days a little worm of doubt burrowed its way into my mind. Had I paid for this? No one else was worried about it if I had proceeded to walk out the door, and it was only six dollars of goods. But my conscience is a fragile and precious thing, so I stopped, turned, and asked if the cashier had included this purchase? No, she had not. So she rang it up. I paid and then left – with a clear conscience.

If we can’t be true to ourselves in the little things of life, will we be true, honest, in matters of life and death. Self-deception happens on many levels in our lives.

Sometimes we deceive ourselves because we are unwilling to listen to what God has to say about something. Just before Passover it is important to consider the area of forgiveness. Are we living the truth when it comes to being honest about our relationships with others – a friend, a spouse, a brother, a workmate. Are we perhaps hiding or glossing over the truth that we are harbouring bitterness or ill-will, for real or imagined hurts. Let’s be honest with ourselves, so we can heal the hurt.

It is so easy in every difficult situation to point the finger of blame. But honesty would make us aware of the true nature of things. It would help us break down our natural resistance to admitting our own faults.

A few days ago someone stepped backwards tripped over the dishwasher door and broke it. The cost to repair the damage is probably going to be considerable. Now the truth is multi-faceted. Yes, perhaps this person should have been more careful, more aware of their surroundings. But that is only part of the truth, what of the individual responsible for leaving the door down in the first place and walking away without closing it. How would you assess the percentage blame?

The wonderful truth about forgiveness is you don’t need to assess blame! When people are honest and willing to accept responsibility, then forgiveness can occur and people can then work together to find solutions instead of wallowing in bitterness and recrimination. They can share the burden of the expense to fix the dishwasher and the joy of hand washing dishes until the repairs are complete.

What is the point of contention in your life now. Perhaps asking God to help you see the truth of the matter in its full spectrum and with your vision unclouded by emotions and prejudices will help you forgive and move on in your life.

Truth is the foundation everything must be built on, without that rock to stand on your life is just quicksand.

“The right to liberty… guarantees a degree of personal autonomy over important decisions intimately affecting his or her private life. … The decision whether or not to terminate a pregnancy is essentially a moral decision and in a free and democratic society, the conscience of the individual must be paramount to that of the state.” (Morgentaler et al. v. Her Majesty The Queen, [1988] 1 S.C.R. 30 at 37)

Reader 1: I had a dream last night that we were back in Egypt. It all seemed so real. The time has gone so quickly, it is hard to believe that it was really forty years ago!

Reader 2: Do you know the thing I remember most about Egypt? And no, it’s not the leeks and cucumbers. I was just a little guy then, being carried on my Dad’s shoulders and I remember seeing for the first time the huge flame of fire that seemed to be leading the immense caravan of people that was moving in front of me as far as my eyes could see. I didn’t know whether to be excited or afraid, but I felt safe and secure with my Dad holding me. I wonder how God will lead us in the future?…

There should be live broadcast as we hope to have an internet connection. Again since this is not our regular location the connection may not be as good and thus may affect the video quality. We will upload the sermon as soon as possible after live broadcast.

Services will not be at our regular location and net access will likely not be available.
This means there will be no live broadcast, however we will endeavour to upload the recording the same afternoon to the Sermons page.

Weekly Sermon – January 23, 2010
Who you pick as your friends are important, but who are you real friends? And what about your facebook friends? This sermon explores friendship from the biblical perspective and was presented by Jeff Patton

A new embeded flash player has been installed for the site including livestream and archived sermons. Hopefully this newer flash player will resolve some issues with playback, and provide a better viewing experience. Please leave me your feedback so I can improve the media services, after all the messages are for everyone.

As you may have noticed we have been having issues with our camera/computer connection two weeks ago, so last week we switched computers to get the video up and running again. Unfortunately recorded sound volume was affected by the change in compuer.

For the moment if you can turn up the volume on your computer, and your computer’s sound control panel as well as the flash player all to maximum the broadcast should be audible. We do have a work around coming so please be patient while we work out these issues.

Gretta Vosper in her new book With Or Without God: Why the Way We Live is More Important than What We Believe asks, “Why do we need a ‘revolutionary’ voice from two millennia ago to guide us? We have fabulous ideas of our own, that are constantly weakened by having to tie them back to Jesus and Scripture.” The book description is as follows: “God does not answer our prayers. Jesus is not the Saviour who saved the world by dying for our sins. Simply put, Christianity is “love one another.”

Gretta Vosper, founder of the Canadian Centre for Progressive Christianity and a minister in Toronto, believes that the church, as we have built it and known it, has outlived its viability. What she proposes in the provocative with or without God is a radical change that lies at the heart of faith. The new church she envisions will play a viable and transformative role in the shaping of a future society. What will save the church from certain demise, Vosper argues, is a new emphasis on just and compassionate living.” In her opinion, “Without this reform, the church as we know it faces extinction.”

In the March 31 ’08 edition of Maclean’s there is a picture of what is supposed to be Jesus and the caption says Jesus Has An Identity Crisis. “Scholars are casting new doubt on the divinity of Christ—and even wondering if the church would be better off without him.” It starts out with “Whom do men say that I am?” Jesus’ own query to his disciples.

So who does Jesus say He is and would we be better off without Him? He asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied that some say John the Baptist, or Elijah, or Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Even then the majority of religious peoples refused to believe He was the Messiah though they knew it was prophesied in the books they diligently studied. (The Old Testament) Jesus backed up His claim by fulfilling more than 130 messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, by healing the sick, by raising the dead, by forgiving sin. He did not claim to be yet another teacher or merely a good man. Jesus said He was God.

Then Jesus asked those who walked day and night with Him for three and a half years and witnessed His miracles and His divinity. “Who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 16:13-17). Those who knew Him personally recognized He was no ordinary man but truly God in the flesh.

The Pharisees had been challenging Jesus on His identity and then the Jews joined in saying they were the descendents of Abraham, and accused Him of being demon possessed, “You are not yet fifty years old,” the Jews said to him, “and You have seen Abraham!” No matter how religious people are, they fight against the truth. Listen to the words of John “…Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (John 3:19-20 NIV). See Psalm 27:1 where David says “The Lord(YHVH) is my light…”
The reaction of those whom John calls “the Jews”—that is, those Jews who did not believe in Jesus, and particularly the Jewish religious leaders—was clear and inescapable. They saw Him as claiming to be equal to God. They considered that claim as blasphemy. Often they picked up stones to stone Him. And eventually they demanded His crucifixion.

But Jesus said, “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM!” At this, they picked up stones to stone Him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds” (John 8:58-59 NIV). Jesus was identifying Himself as the one the Jews knew as the God of the Old Testament, a fact they did not like.

Jesus announcing His identity as “I AM” is a direct application of the Old Testament name for God (Exodus 3:14). In the story of Moses and the burning bush, Moses asks God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent Me to you.’ “So we can see that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is really Jesus Christ before His human birth.

The Apostle Paul testifies of this truth, “He is the image of the invisible God…in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.”

John tells us that Jesus created the world. (John 1:1-3,14) Paul tells us about the mysteries “hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ”(Ephesians3:9). “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth…”(Colossians1:16)

Peter said every one who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. But what did Jesus say about himself?

Did He ever identify himself as God? According to the Bible…absolutely! Below are some of his statements made while on earth, in their context. Is Jesus God? Without pulling any punches, He said He was God:

“I and the Father are one.” The Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God” (John 10:30-33).

“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:6-9).

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother shall rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” (John 11:21-27)

Philippians 2:6-8 says that Jesus was “in very nature God…but made Himself nothing,” and was “found in appearance as a man.” Colossians 1:19 says that “God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him [Jesus].” John 1:1,14 says that “The Word [Jesus] was with God and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…” Jesus, who was and is God, became flesh and lived among us. It is hard to see how anything could be stated more clearly.

Jesus now sits at the right hand of God and lives forever to intercede for us (Roman 8:34; Hebrews 7:25, 10:12). He will come again to judge all men (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). Jesus is God.

Religious affiliations can say or do what they want but Jesus says the church will always exist and He is head of that church. “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 6:18) and that Christ is alive and well.

Let’s listen to Jesus own words to the high priest before his crucifixion “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 23:63).

These words of Paul could be directed at that woman who thinks in her vanity and arrogance she can change the church and do away with Jesus. “Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept (1 Corinthians 15:12-14, 17,-20). And we too have the opportunity to be among the firstfruits. People may try to get rid of Jesus, but would life be worth living without that magnificent hope?

So when Gretta Vosper asks, “Why do we need a ‘revolutionary’ voice from two millennia ago to guide us?” Jesus’ answer is abundantly clear. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Information on the Feast of Tabernacles 2010 has been updated!

It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longermeaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there ispower. (Alan Cohen)

We were kind of like Gideon…shy, retiring, scared. The whole world seemed a scary place…so he hid in a cave, threshing his wheat in a wine press. Normally farmers threshed on a hill where the wind blew away the chaff, but Gideon has the indignity of threshing in a dark cave where the chaff clings to your hair and sticks to the sweat on your arms. Hoping to eke out an existence there in the damp and the dark, Gideon was just trying to survive. After all those decades of defeat, the foodstuff of Gideon’s life was flavored with despair. Then God called him. Doesn’t his story sound familiar…it could be you or me trying to dig ourselves out of the dark quagmire of human despair or some crisis situation in our life, and suddenly we are exposed to the awesome, but a little unsettling… light of God’s truth.

Some background information

Judges 6-8 The story of Gideon comes from a primitive time, dating back to the twelfth century BCE, and the time of the Judges. Under Moses, the people of Israel had escaped from Egypt and had entered the land of Palestine. They did not have a king as yet, but lived in what we might call a sort of confederation of states. They had no standing army. As such, they were constantly open to attack from other tribes and people of the area. They had neighbors who had their own gods, and this too brought a constant threat to Israel’s faith as these other gods looked pretty good. So there was constant tension. But the stories of the Judges had a theme that followed a regular cyclical pattern: The people of God would turn away from God. Life would turn bad; they would repent, God would rise up a leader, what was called a judge and this judge would lead them against their enemy. Then they would have a time of peace until they turned from God again. (Tom Tate)

Right when Gideon was least expecting it an angel came and sat under an oak tree and spoke to him. He says, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valour”(Judges 6:12). Wow! I bet Gideon looked around him and wondered who the angel was talking to. I don’t think Gideon felt like a mighty man—of valour—which means bold, courageous, and fearless. That hardly describes Gideon or how he felt at that time in history. But God sees a man differently than we humans do. He saw those elements as part of Gideon’s character… elements that has not been tested, elements that had not had a chance to develop. Of course Gideon’s reaction is one of skepticism…“are you really talking to me God?” he seems to say. “I am from a poor family and I am the least in my father’s house…funny, David was the least of all his brethren and God made him a mighty King. Moses, too, was reluctant to be called saying he stuttered, but he was used mightily by God. I think it is a familiar story of each of us present day Christians…when we’re called we did not feel adequate, not quite up to the task and not least of all, a bit skeptical. And yet temporarily dazzled by the light of the truth, we counted the cost and moved forward gingerly, recognizing that we had the pearl of great price within reach of our fingertips.

When Gideon finally realizes it is truly a call (which took a miracle Judges 6:21) from God he has to prove himself by tearing down his father’s idols. We too had to prove to God we took our calling seriously by leaving our father and mother’s false religion and traditions behind us.

Gideon protests — as we do — that he is weak and inadequate. In fact, he is reluctant to change…as we all are… we want to stay in familiar territory no matter how bad it is. Even though Gideon was nervous about tearing down the idols he did it anyway. Just like us when first called, we don’t shout from the rooftops but take our first baby steps toward change.

Paul said of the body of Christ, that the least important members, the weaker members are the ones that are indispensable. When you don’t have too much confidence you know your need for God so you rely more on Him. As we read about Gideon, we see that he has many fears and that he is not very confident. He’s afraid of the Midianites; he’s afraid of the men in his own village and so he destroys the altar to Baal at night, afraid to do it in the light. He is evidently afraid of the enemy’s army when it gathers in a nearby valley.

Gideon also had to prove God, hence the story of Gideon’s fleece. He challenges God to keep the fleece dry that he lays on the ground and the next morning the ground is wet with dew and the fleece dry; still unsatisfied he challenges God the next day to have the fleece wet and the ground dry. Of course God proves true. Remember they didn’t have the whole Bible like we do today. And God reminds us in His Word when we are first called to prove Him true. (Hebrews 3:9 Malachi 3:10)

We need to learn how to handle our fears. It says perfect love casts out fear… but evidently Gideon had not had the opportunity to grow much in faith. We can admit that we are afraid and still step forward to do God’s will. Even in fear, courage is possible and victory is assured as long as we have truly tuned in to God’s command. Being scared shouldn’t stop us from anything God directs or inspires. Gideon did the job scared. But he was a newly called out one at that time and he did it… that’s the main thing. Paul knew weakness…he had to live with it. He said,” For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10). God doesn’t call many mighty, many noble people, He calls the weak of the world and works through them mightily and that’s what he did with Gideon and many other prophets of the Old Testament and continues that tradition in the Church today.

The battle Gideon fights with the Midianites could easily represent our battle with the world and Satan. God shows us how, tells us where, and when in His Word. We are a small insignificant group, blowing the trumpet, saying “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon” (doing the work of God using the Word of God); breaking the pitcher, (representing death of the old man); holding the light up for all to see (being an example to the world). Then we should be giving 100 percent to winning the race. If we follow God’s Word, He will win the battle for us…as in Gideon’s battle he just followed God’s instruction and God did the rest.

Even though Gideon was afraid, he became an example to all those around him. Even though he was a babe in God’s truth, he stepped out in faith. The three hundred were going into battle because one man’s faith encouraged them all. So even though we too, may have been reluctant in the beginning, we can eventually be mightily used by God. But what is so wonderful about this story of Gideon is that God sees our potential of greatness as his sons and daughters, and like Gideon, we just need to do our part.

The enemies of God have always tried to suppress three things; the Sabbath, the scriptures and circumcision. Although not a commanded observance, Chanukah, The Feast of Dedication is a timely reminder of what the people of God had to do to preserve the scriptures and eventually the lineage and culture that our savior Jesus Christ was born in to.

The story of Belshazzar in the book of Daniel is more than a historically accurate account. It is a message of warning for our time. Knowing that the handwriting is on the wall, what should we be doing? What is the role of good works in our walk with God?

Weekly Sermon – August 1st 2009
Alex Kennedy poses the questions: What is Life, Why is Life, Why am I hear, is Humanity the result of an alien probe that went wrong, is it a cosmic accident, or evolution from that cosmic accident? Or is it the design from a great designer?

Weekly Sermon – July 18th 2009
Human beings for thousand of years have been driven by their fears. The history of humanity is written in the fear of men and women. Are you afraid of death, are you afraid of losing your job, are you afraid of an accident? Jeff Patton talks on how our fears can cripple us and our own fears can become reality. Jesus tells us to not worry about our life, what we will drink, eat, or wear. He even tells us that if we worry about it we cannot add another hour to our lives. So how do we overcome our fears?

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – July 4, 2009
Jeff Patton poses the question: Are you a spiritual seeker? Michael Jackson was, but he never found what he was looking for. What are you seeking? Is there a right way to seek God? The answers are found in the Bible, one of the answers is simple, we should seek what lasts. But what lasts, and what should we seek?

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – June 27, 2009
Jeff Patton talks about how Christianity is a way of life and about the two great commandments. First to love your God with all your heart, soul and mind (your being) and second to love your neighbour as yourself. Your neighbour is anyone who needs your help, not just the guy to your right or the girl to the left.

Refreshed Weekly Sermon – June 20, 2009
Jeff Patton Speaks about our Father in heaven, and the greatest four letter word of our society, not the f*** word that many of us hear every day. No this word is the real f-word to society; OBEY.